Hyrule State University
by ExcelToYourMother
Summary: Hyrule, once an ancient city home to the Hero of Time, is now a bustling metropolis located in present day Indiana. Zelda Peterson and Link MacAlarney, both unknowing descendants of the ancient heroes of yore, meet during their first years at Hyrule State University.
1. Introduction

No, I don't own Zelda, Link, Midna, yadda yadda yadda. Nintendo does, and I owe them greatly for the wonderful childhood they have given me.

A long time ago, the Hero of Time rescued the princess of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf by wielding the Master Sword. Millenia have passed, and unfortunately, the legend has been lost to the dusts of time. The Hylian race, which both the Hero and the Princess belonged to, has blended into the human race and now no longer exists. The city of Hyrule is now a bustling metropolis located in present day Indiana. Hyrule is also home to Hyrule State University, a well-respected college in the city. Zelda Peterson and Link MacAlarney, both unknowing descendants of the ancient heroes, meet during their first years at HSU. Can history repeat itself? Will the legend happen again?


	2. Alone

"Are you _sure_ you want to move away to school, Zelda?" my mom asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's a little late to be asking me that when I'm in the car on the way to move in to my dorm room at school, Mom," I told her.

She gave me a sad little smile. "It's only too late when I'm in the car wiping tears out of my eyes and driving home without my baby girl," she said.

I chuckled and began to tear up a little, too. "I know. But I'm really excited."

I was moving away from home to start the next stage of my life at HSU – Hyrule State University. It was going to be a huge shock for me – I had never spent an extended period of time away from home, away from my parents. Heck, the town I grew up in had a population of about 2,000. HSU alone had about 20,000 enrolled students at the time. Of course, I was trying to deny my apprehension.

The toughest part about moving away was leaving my friends. All my friends were accepted at smaller community colleges in the area, and since freshmen at HSU weren't allowed to have cars on campus, the only time I could see them was when I was home on holiday break. I almost went to a smaller college just so I could be with some of my friends, but I knew HSU looked infinitely better on a résumé than the colleges they got in to. I would still miss them, though.

My dad looked at me in the back seat. "Do you know what time your roommate is going to get there, sweetheart? Hey!" He shouted as someone cut him off on the freeway. "See, this is why I hate driving in the city," he said, laying on the horn.

"I think Midna said she'd be there by noon," I said. Midna Parker was the roommate assigned to me by the university. I subconsciously had wished that at least one of my friends was going to attend HSU so I wouldn't have to take my chances with a random roommate. However, I looked her up on Facebook and she seemed like a relatively normal person. Seemed like.

"We'll probably be there by 11:30," my dad said. He smiled. "You'll have a chance to get the better half of the room."

"Yeah," I said with a laugh. Then my smile disappeared when I remembered I would be leaving home.

It was about a three hour drive from my home in Syracuse, Indiana to Hyrule. It was supposed to be, anyway. We hit monster traffic driving into the city, probably due to 20,000 students and their families trying to make their ways into HSU to move in. By the time 11:30 rolled around, we were in a three-lane gridlock on I-70, nowhere close to the campus.

"Will you look at all the HSU bumper stickers and decals!" My dad said, looking around at all of the idling cars. "Everyone must love this place." HSU was a well-respected institution, indeed. Still would have been better if my friends were coming with me.

Eventually, as we were crawling along the bridge over Lake Hylia, Hyrule slowly crept into view. It was a huge metropolis – much larger than my tiny hometown. There were skyscrapers everywhere. "Big city, huh?" My dad asked me, apparently reading my mind.

"Sure is," I said.

"You're not in Kansas, anymore, Dorothy," he said with a smile. I gave a fake laugh. "But seriously," he continued. "You have to be careful, sweetie. Remember the rules we discussed. Don't stay out too late, be careful of the people you hang out with, and always use good judgement."

"I know," I quietly said, staring at the city skyline. What my dad said was true. Was I getting in over my head?

After a grueling four hour car ride in the August heat, we finally made it onto the campus. We then had to wait in line again in the commons building so I could get the key to my dorm room. "I don't care what anyone says," I grumbled to myself. "Next year I'm coming a week early so I don't have to wait for anything."

After getting my key, my family and I ventured towards my new home – 323 Garibaldi Hall. I unlocked the door and took my first step inside. My parents stepped in close after me with all of my belongings in tow. I was a bit shocked at how spartan it was. Cinder block walls, beat up mattresses, and both of the desks were a bit nicked up. "It's a bit musty in here," my mom said with a cough.

"Well, it's been empty all summer," I said, trying to remain positive. I opened the curtains of the window across the room, only to reveal that pretty much all of the outside world was obscured by an enormous pine tree outside of the building. "Awesome," I muttered sarcastically.

"It's all right, sweetheart," my mom told me. "Watch. When we start decorating the room you'll like this more than your room back home." Just my mom mentioning home caused my heart to drop into my lower intestine. However, she was right. Once we all got to work setting up and decorating my room, I was pleased at how it shaped up. My mom put the sheets on my bed. I picked them out myself – a neat green and white plaid pattern. I've always liked the color green. My dad laid down the rug, again, green. I set up my computer and began unpacking all of my clothes. Once a splash of color was added to the room, it looked livable. I made a mental note to buy a David Beckham poster somewhere to spruce it up even more. And the tree? Well, heck, there wasn't much to look at outside, anyway. At least it would keep the sunlight out of the room at seven in the morning.

"Hey, I guess your roommate isn't here yet," my dad observed. Her half of the room was still bare. "She must be stuck in traffic, too."

I shrugged. "She'll be here soon." I was anxious to meet her, and I prayed that she was going to be a good roomie.

After everything was unpacked, we all went down the street to a small café to grab a bite to eat before we said our goodbyes. It was packed with other new students and teary-eyed parents. I ordered a latte and a muffin and sat with my parents. We all sort of sat and chewed for a while, not wanting to let go. The distress of me leaving home for several months caused me to barely touch my muffin. My parents sat sadly across from me.

"So, are you excited?" My dad asked, breaking the long silence.

"Yeah," I said. "Nervous, though."

He nodded. "I don't blame you. When I moved away from Grandma and Grandpa's I was a quivering wreck for weeks."

"George!" My mom admonished. My stomach tightened up and I bit my lip.

"But after that I was fine," he continued. "Don't worry, sweetheart. College is going to be the best four years of your life. Look at me, it was the best _five_ years of my life."

My mom put her head in her hands.

"But it's only going to be that way if you make friends and get involved. Friends are so important in college. They helped me warm up to college after those first few weeks. Friends can get you through the worst of times," my dad concluded.

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

My mom slowly stood up. "I guess it's time to go," she said dejectedly. "I don't want to leave my baby girl," she said, beginning to cry.

"Don't, Mom—" I began to cry a little, too. "I'll miss both of you so much," I said. We had a group hug that seemed to last minutes.

"Call us," my dad said. "Whenever you want to talk."

"I will," I sniffled.

"And the drinking age is 21," he said sharply. "No exceptions."

I chuckled. "I know, I know." After a long pause, I slowly and woodenly picked up my purse. "I guess I'll go back to my room, then. Call me when you get home."

We all walked outside, then when the time came, I went left and my parents went right. "Bye," I said. They forlornly waved back. I swiped back into my new home with my student ID. The rickety elevator carried me back to the third floor. I unlocked the door to my new room, and went inside.

Sitting down on my new bed, I realized, for the first time in my life, that I was on my own, and completely alone.


End file.
